A Voyage from San Francisco to Tahiti 419 



couriers around the island, both waj^s, 

 to announce our coming to the chiefs 

 who are to provide for us. 



We pass through sugar plantations, 

 and go by Mr. K.'s country place. On 

 his lawn, between his house and the 

 Pacific, are two old sacrificial stones. 

 He says he is sure of finding plenty of 

 human bones there when he uncovers 

 the site. We go on by a delightful 

 shady road close by the sea, till, at 

 12.30, we stop at Papenoo for a native 

 breakfast. The principal dishes are ( i ) 

 breadfruit cooked (baked) in leaves. 

 It cuts like soft, very fine cheese, and 

 I can hardly define the taste, but it is 

 mildly pleasant. (2) Young pig, fed 

 exclusively on cocoanut. It tastes half 

 cocoanut, half pig ! It is eaten with a 

 sauce of sea-water, lime, and cocoanut 

 juice. (3) Fish. (4) Oranges, cocoa- 

 nuts, and other fruits. (N. B. — Cocoa- 

 nut water and Bordeaux mix very well. ) 



The pigs, mostly little black creatures, 

 appear to have been left by the Span- 

 iards 300 years ago, and to be the only 

 animal known to the island, and the 

 only quadruped known to the older 

 natives. Pig ("pua"), then, has be- 

 come the generic name for animals ; 

 thus, a horse is pua horo, " the pig that 

 runs over the ground," man (as an edi- 

 ble) is lon_o- pig. 



The native women sing ' ' himinies ' ' 

 with some very striking effects. The 

 voices have something plangent and 

 metallic in them, yet are melodious and 

 in harmony. In the first song, at the 

 end of each verse, all stopped suddenly, 

 giving the effect of the ' ' couac ' ' of the 

 opera singer. In all the verses there 

 was an undertone beneath the song. 

 This undertone continued alone for a 

 few seconds at the end of each verse, 

 after the superposed song was finished, 

 and died out separately and slowly, like 



Robinson Crusoe Hut 



